Richie Mehta has signed on to direct Jay Baruchel in Baseballissimo
Richie Mehta (Siddharth) has signed on to direct Baseballissimo, which was written by Jay Baruchel (How to Train Your Dragon) and his writing partner Jesse Chabot (Random Acts of Violence), according to THR. The film will star Baruchel and is looking for a new lead. The late Anton Yelchin (Star Trek) was set to play the lead role until his accidental death in 2016. Yelchin was to play a minor-league baseball player who pitches for the Peones, a baseball team in Italy.
Baseballissimo is based on the the non-fiction book by Dave Bidni. The Amazon description reads: “In the spring of 2002, Dave Bidini set off for Nettuno, Italy, with his wife, Janet, and their two small children, in search of his favourite summer game, baseball. Nettuno was his destination because this town, south of Rome, has been the baseball capital of Italy since 1944, when the game was introduced by the American GIs who liberated the region. Bidini wanted to spend time in a town where everyone is as nuts about the game as he is, and in Nettuno, they love the game so much that they hand out baseball gloves and bats to children taking their first communion. The result of his summer in Italy is vintage Bidini: a funny, perceptive, and engrossing book that takes readers far beyond the professional sport to the game that people around the world love to play.”
Mehta is replacing Jacob Tierney as director as the film is restructured. Mehta is known for his recent documentary India in a Day, which was produced by Ridley Scott. He’s also known for the films Siddharth and Amal. A71 Productions will produce Baseballissimo. Baruchel is known for his acting work in Tropic Thunder, Million Dollar Baby and as the voice of Hiccup in the How to Train Your Dragon films. He will return for a third How to Train Your Dragon film in 2019.
Are you guys interested in Baseballissimo? Who do you think should replace Anton Yelchin in the role? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or tweet us @ComingSoonnet.
